When I took a figure drawing class, I found that learning how to draw people can be simultaneously the most satisfying and frustrating things I’ve ever done. Frustrating because when I started, my figures were worse than stick figure drawings, but satisfying because every lesson meant that I saw immediate improvement in my art, even as I found two more things I had to work on. But by the time I was done, I had several charcoal drawings of figures that I could be proud of.

And I enjoyed working in charcoal for my figure drawing, far more than any other medium, because it was so quick and relatively easy to use, with a lot of versatility for capturing light and shadow without having to deal with a bunch of tools. Sure, there were a few charcoal drawing techniques that I picked up along the way, but the beauty of it was that I could focus on getting the gesture of the model, render cloth and skin and features quickly, without having to stop and switch brushes and paint ever few minutes.

This figure drawing video does such a great job of explaining those same figure drawing techniques. Joy shows you how to draw people in charcoal from life, with emphasis on composition, proportion, gesture and mood. You’ll learn charcoal drawing techniques for rendering clothing, learn to indicate surrounding elements, and add limited color. Joy leads you through everything you need to know to try figure drawing at home, from setting up the space, lighting and the model; how to take a break and get back into position; how to draw the textures of drapery, folds, accessories and hair; and how to add bits of color to bring out your focal point.